Scavenger hunt through Bamberg

The rules of the game are simple: the first player or team to finish their task or answer a question correctly, wins a point. Those with the most points at the end win. You’ll need: paper, pens and a smartphone to find the way and to take pictures. No Googling allowed, though!

On Luitpoldstraße, make your way to the city centre. Then turn left towards the Obere Königstraße, and carry out the first task: Bamberg is famous for its breweries. You will find nine different traditional breweries in the city centre alone. There are even two that are directly across from each other. What are they called? (Answer: Fässla and Spezial). The person who finds these two the fastest can have two scoops of ice cream from the Eiscafé Bassano on the Kettenbrücke bridge. Other scavenger hunters get just one. Cross the Kettenbrücke bridge and go into the city centre. Just as with many other bridges, this one also features love locks. Be the first to find the initials or name of a player on one of the locks! Take a photo as proof!

Bamberg’s town centre is situated on an island surrounded by two branches of a river. This is why it’s also known as the “island city”. You have just crossed the right branch. What is the name of the river? To find the answer you can either look for the signs, or ask passers-by. (Answer: Regnitz)
The route continues on further through a pedestrian zone. The Fuchs bakery on the left makes for an inviting pit stop for when tummies start growling. The tasty Bamberg butter croissants are known by their Franconian name, “Bamberger Hörnla”. What other Bamberg speciality has the same name, but would unlikely be served at afternoon tea? The baker will definitely know the answer! (Answer: Bamberger Hörnla is also the name of a potato variety).
You continue onwards past the spacious Maximiliansplatz square, where the town hall is located. This is also where the celebrations will take place, deep into the night if the town’s basketball club – the Brose Baskets – win the German championships again. Bamberg is famously proud of its successful basketball team, and the wild antics their fans come up with. With this in mind, what is the town also called in the world of sports? If you don’t want to ask passers-by then perhaps you’ll find the answer printed on T-shirts in one of the souvenir shops there. (Answer: Freak City).
Now, carrying on straight ahead to the Gabelmoo (known in standard German as: Gabelmann, or “fork man” in English). Who can find him first, and who can find out where the name comes from? (Answer: The Neptunbrunnen, the most famous fountain in Bamberg, is also known as “Gabelmoo” or “fork man” because it depicts Neptune holding a trident).

Cross the Lange Straße and head straight ahead in the direction of the Obere Brücke bridge. This is often where buskers perform – if this is the case for you, who is the first to recognize the song that is being played? If you’re very brave there’s even the chance to win three bonus points here: anyone who dances for three minutes next to the musician receives the extra bonus points.
The Obere Brücke bridge leads through the old Bamberg town hall, which was built on a specially constructed artificial island. The façade has a unique special feature which makes it seem almost alive – what is it? (Answer: The leg of one of the painted figures protrudes as a sculpture out from the fresco).
Now, make two right turns and approach the Untere Brücke bridge, with the statue of Saint Cunigunde, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. If you look past the Empress, you will see a picturesque little house directly by the water. Occasionally a gondola will pass by it in this part of the Regnitz river ... What famous Italian city is this reminiscent of? It gave its name to this frequently photographed part of Bamberg (Answer: Venice or Little Venice)
You won’t be crossing the Untere Brücke bridge – instead you head back along Dominikanerstraße and continue into the old town. You will pass another traditional brewery, the Schlenkerla. The typical flavour of the beer produced here is an acquired taste – why? (Answer: It is a smoked beer, and thus tastes slightly like smoked ham.) Hint: Lots of people enjoy their beer in front of the entrance because there’s no room inside – feel free to ask. Adult scavenger hunters can of course try it themselves.

After the Schlenkerla brewery, turn left and climb the Katzenberg to Bamberg Cathedral. Once you've made it, you can enjoy the wonderful view over the city. Then it’s into the cathedral. Not only is it a resting place for a pope, but an imperial couple is interred here as well. We’ve already briefly seen the Empress Cunigunde on the Untere Brücke bridge. What was the name of her husband, the Emperor? (Answer: Heinrich)
The cathedral is known for an equestrian statue. Even now people try to guess at the identity of the mysterious "Bamberger Reiter" (Bamberg rider). Who can find and sketch a picture of him first?
From the cathedral square you can reach the romantic Bamberg Rose Garden. Take note, it’s slightly hidden and not easy to find. Who will be the first to get there?
Not only can you admire the fragrant flowers, but also beautiful sculptures. But hold on a moment: one of the depicted figures is similar to one we’ve seen before – which is it? Take a photo as proof! (Answer: Neptune with the trident – he is also present as “Gabelmoo” in the pedestrian zone).
After the strenuous search, it is time for a little refreshment: at the Café Rosengarten there are tasty cakes and small snacks. Our tip: try Bamberg’s best cheesecake (EUR 3.60).

You can now either end the scavenger hunt, award the winner a tasty piece of strawberry cake and wander around Bamberg for a little bit longer, or add one last stop. Depending on the weather, there are two options:
When the sun is shining, walk through the old town to the Hainbadestelle bathing area on the Regnitz river (about 20 minutes by foot). The last task here can be a treasure hunt for example; you can hide a treasure in Hain, Bamberg’s most beautiful park, ahead of time. The more points a player has collected, the earlier they can begin with the hunt. A less challenging alternative task: who can be the first person to put on their swimming costume and get in the water up to their chest?
Is the weather gloomy or would you like to get to know another side of Bamberg? Head on over to the Gärtner- und Häckermuseum (Market Gardeners' and Wine-Growers' Museum) (also about 20 minutes away). After all, apart from its brewery, the town is famous for its landscape design and wine making (known in Franconian as “Häckerei”). The task here: Find out what has been grown in the region since the medieval times, besides potatoes and wine. Extra point: what sweets are made from it? (Answer: Liquorice root, which is an ingredient in liquorice.)

The station is about 30 to 40 minutes away from either the Rose Garden or the Hain bathing spot, and about 15 minutes from the gardeners’ museum.

1. Find two breweries located opposite each other on the way to the Kettenbrücke (chain bridge).
2. Find a love lock with the initials or the name of one of the scavenger hunters.
3. Find out the name of the river that runs through the city.
4. Buy a Bamberga Hörnla for everyone and find out what else has the same name.
5. Find out the nickname of the city.
6. Reach the “Gabelmoo”.
7. (optional) Recognise the song the street musician is playing and dance along to it.
8. Discover the unique feature of the town hall façade.
9. Find out which Italian city Bamberg likes to compare itself to.
10. Find out what’s so special about “Schlenkerla”.
11. Find out the name of the Emperor interred in the cathedral.
12. Draw the Bamberg rider.
13. Get to the Rose Garden.
14. Find the twin statue there.
15. Option 1: Treasure hunt or swimming competition at the Hain bathing area
Option 2: Find the sweet speciality of Bamberg gardeners at the Gärtner- und Häckermuseum (Market Gardeners’ and Wine-Growers' Museum).